Yūkimaru was utterly baffled by Yoruha's words. If he were a girl, he would indeed look quite cute.
Unfortunately, he was a boy, and any normal man would find it awkward to see him that way.
Yoruha was no exception. Despite Yūkimaru's cuteness, the thought of him being a boy made Yoruha feel somewhat uneasy.
However, Yoruha wasn't particularly interested in Yūkimaru to begin with. The reason he saved Guren and Yūkimaru was because he was intrigued by Guren, or more precisely, by her Crystal Release.
Additionally, he knew that Guren and Yūkimaru could still be saved. Although Yoruha possessed great strength, he wasn't one to kill indiscriminately if there was a chance to save someone he encountered.
After hearing Yoruha's words, Guren hadn't completely let her guard down, but she figured Yoruha wasn't that kind of person.
Still, she didn't understand why Yoruha had saved them. Guren asked, "Why did you say something so easily misunderstood just now? But why would someone as strong as you save us?"
Yoruha teased, "Didn't I just say? I'm not interested in this kid, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in you." Guren's heart tightened again, and she looked at Yoruha warily, "What do you want? Don't even think about it!"
Clearly, Guren had misunderstood again. Seeing her reaction, Yoruha paused, realizing she might have misunderstood once more. Yoruha was speechless.
"Where is your mind wandering off to? What I meant was, I'm quite interested in your ninjutsu, especially your Crystal Release." Guren blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Then make yourself clear! Who told you to speak so ambiguously?"
Yoruha glanced at the large pit in the distance and said, "You're with Orochimaru, right? Orochimaru is not a good person. You'd better not work for him."
Hearing this, Guren was furious. Orochimaru was extremely important to her, and Yoruha dared to speak of him like that.
"Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Dragon!" Guren immediately unleashed a Crystal Release jutsu, conjuring a pink crystal dragon several meters long in front of her.
The crystal dragon charged at Yoruha. Yoruha stood still, seemingly unresponsive, about to be struck by the crystal dragon.
Just as the crystal dragon was about to hit Yoruha, Guren withdrew it. Countless crystals shattered into fragments in the air. Guren was exasperated, "Why didn't you dodge?"
Although Guren was angry, Yoruha had saved them earlier, and she didn't want to harm him.
She was just upset about Yoruha's insult to Orochimaru and wanted to scare him a little. Yoruha calmly replied, "Because I knew you wouldn't really attack me."
It was a simple statement, yet it stirred a storm in Guren's heart. This kind of trust was something Guren had never encountered before.
Having served Orochimaru for so long, she had become desensitized to killing, her heart long sealed away. Yet, this was the first time she met someone like Yoruha.
Of course, Guren's thoughts were purely her own. She considered herself cold-blooded, but in reality, no one had ever tried to save her. After all, who would risk their life to save someone unrelated to them?
This time, she met Yoruha, who happened to be that rare person with nothing better to do.
He was just saying it. After all, he didn't need to dodge at all; Guren's Crystal Release wouldn't harm Yoruha in the slightest.
Guren trembled all over, her voice shaky as she said, "What makes you think I won't attack you? Why should I? We just met." "How much do you even know about me? Stop acting so smart."
Upon hearing these words, Yūkimaru looked at Guren, sensing that she felt differently about the person in front of her. Yoruha looked at Guren and smiled,
"I may not know you well, but I can tell you've just sealed away your kindness, much like your Crystal Release." "I'm pretty good at reading people."
Yoruha said casually. Yet, these words broke through the icy barrier Guren had placed around her true feelings. She lowered her head, not daring to look up at Yoruha.
She murmured, "How much do you know about me? What makes you think you can understand me? Lord Orochimaru needs me, how can you speak of him like that?" Despite saying this, Guren didn't dare to look up at Yoruha. For a long time, Yoruha didn't speak.
Guren suddenly felt a bit panicked, thinking Yoruha had left. She didn't know why, but she didn't want Yoruha to leave because he was the first person to bring a ray of sunshine into her heart. So, she anxiously raised her head.
But when she did, Yoruha's face was right in front of her. She didn't know when he had appeared before her. "You don't need to serve Orochimaru. I think, having been by his side for so many years, you know better than I what kind of person he is.
"I know he might have given you a sense of purpose, but is it possible that all the hardships you've endured were orchestrated by him, including making you feel needed by him?"
"Think about it carefully. I know your childhood was full of hardships, but with your current strength, you have the power to change. There's no need to stay by Orochimaru's side doing things you don't want to do."
When Guren saw Yoruha standing so close, just a few centimeters from her face, his eyes, clear and deep, drew her in.
She could even smell the pleasant scent on Yoruha. Having killed so many over the years, she was more accustomed to the scent of blood, which was harsh compared to Yoruha's fragrance. Yet, it couldn't taint Yoruha's aura in the slightest.
Guren blushed. "What do you know? Lord Orochimaru needs me. Stop badmouthing him." But her heart was racing.
This was the first time she felt this way. She suddenly realized the man before her was incredibly handsome, so much so that even someone like her, who didn't care about appearances, couldn't stay calm. (TN: Ah shit here we go again)
Compared to the group of lunatics around Orochimaru, Yoruha was like a god.
Though Guren's words resisted Yoruha, her body didn't move back an inch. Yoruha reached out and patted Guren's shoulder, speaking earnestly,
"You should know what kind of person he is. I can guarantee that everything you went through as a child was meticulously planned by him. You might not be the sharpest, but think it over, and you'll understand."
Initially, when Yoruha patted her shoulder, she felt shy. But hearing him say she wasn't too bright made her angry. "Idiot, you're the one who's not too bright."
She said, punching Yoruha in the chest. But Yoruha didn't dodge, as he could tell the punch lacked strength. Indeed, Guren's punch was weak, more like a playful hit from a girl.
Yoruha didn't think much of it, noticing Guren's face was as red as if it were about to drip blood.